Liquid-operated actuator assembly, particularly for a flush toilet, and flush toilet incorporating the assembly

摘要

A fluid-operated actuator assembly has a valve with an inlet for connection to a pressurized fluid source, a bi-stable electromagnetic device for operating the valve, which has a first state closing the valve and a second state opening the valve, a hydraulic actuator, and an electronic control circuit. The hydraulic actuator has an actuating member in a housing, the housing having a chamber on one side of the actuating member to which an outlet of the valve is connected for receiving fluid from the fluid source when the valve is opened, the actuating member for operation of the hydraulic actuator. The control circuit momentarily energizes the bi-stable electromagnetic device to the hydraulic actuator from the second state, back to the first state, to terminate operation of the hydraulic actuator.

主权项

1. A liquid-operated actuator assembly comprising:
a main valve having an inlet for receiving a liquid from a pressurized liquid source, and an outlet for flow of the liquid from the main valve when the main valve is open, wherein the main valve prevents the flow of the liquid from the inlet to the outlet when the main valve is closed; a pilot valve of a smaller flow capacity than the main valve and in communication with the outlet of the main valve, wherein
the pilot valve has respective open and closed states,the pilot valve, upon transitioning from the closed state to the open state causes the main valve to open, andthe pilot valve, upon transitioning from the open state to the closed state, causes the main valve to close; a bi-stable latching solenoid transitioning the pilot valve between the open state and the closed state in response to an electrical pulse and maintaining the pilot valve in the open state and in the closed state without consuming electricity; an electronic control circuit for generating and applying electrical pulses to the bi-stable latching solenoid; a hydraulic actuator in communication with the outlet of the main valve for receiving the liquid discharged from the main valve and comprising
a housing into which the liquid may flow from the outlet of the main valve, anda piston slidably mounted within the housing and driven by the liquid received from the outlet of the main valve, wherein
the piston includes a piston rod protruding outside of the housing and sliding along an axis in response to sliding of the piston within the housing, andthe housing includes a chamber on a side of the piston and into which the liquid flowing from the outlet of the main valve flows when the main valve is open; and a spring-loaded shuttle valve communicating with the outlet of the main valve and selectively communicating the chamber with a drain of the liquid-operated actuator, wherein
the spring-loaded shuttle valve, in a first state, communicates the chamber to the drain,the spring-loaded shuttle valve, in a second state, isolates the chamber from the drain, andthe spring-loaded shuttle valve is urged, against the pressure of an internal spring, into and maintained in the second state only when the liquid is flowing from the outlet of the main valve, and is in the first state when the liquid is not flowing from the outlet of the main valve.